The Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Heinz Field on Sunday. It is the first of two meetings between the two rivals over the next month and change.
Pittsburgh needs pressure
Looking back at last week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers should be focused on two things: game script and the pass rush. We’ll start with the latter.
Pittsburgh recorded only 2 sacks and 3 QB hits on Joe Burrow. A quarterback with this level of comfort in the pocket is a lethal one, and the last thing a team wants to do is make Lamar Jackson comfortable. Further, the Steelers defense needs to reassert itself as the force it can be. There is too much talent at all levels between Hayward, Watt, Fitzpatrick, et. all, that this unit needs to play a role in Pittsburgh victories. If they can rattle Lamar Jackson early and often they can force some crucial mistakes. Jackson struggled in the Ravens’ win against Cleveland, throwing four interceptions. I’m still not sure how the Browns managed to lose the game with this stat in mind, but if the Steelers can nab one or two turnovers, I see them closing out the Ravens.
Speaking of the game script
I mentioned earlier the game script last week was brutal for Pittsburgh. They fell behind early, and Joe Burrow made them pay. The pick-six before halftime didn’t help either. Regardless, the Steelers were playing from behind the entire game, and Roethlisberger completely abandoned the run.
The Steelers’ rushing attack hasn’t been overly productive this year, but they need to achieve some balance. Najee Harris only had 8 carries, while Kalen Ballage totaled 3. They cannot afford to be one-dimensional if they hope to notch a key win.
The Steelers need to have a productive pass rush, create turnovers, and get themselves off of the field on third down. Accomplishing these things can put the offense in a position to be methodical. They can mix up the play calling, and at least play the field position battle if points are hard to come by.
Tackling Lamar Jackson
Of course, nothing I said earlier in this article is relevant if you can’t tackle Lamar Jackson. I don’t have the stats to support it, but I am quite confident that teams still have a hard time containing him, even if the play call is correct. In other words, you can put everyone in the right position, but Lamar can still run around you, or beat you to the corner, or stop on a dime and ruin everything.
The Pittsburgh defense needs to stay disciplined. If the coverage is there, the pass rushers need to rush with calculated aggression. Yes, I realize that is an oxymoron, but that seems to make sense to me when I talk about containing Lamar Jackson. If they can prevent Jackson scrambling for first downs on 2nd and 12 or 3rd and 8, I can see the Steelers taking this one. Baltimore wants to run, and Devonta Freeman has had some moments. However, Jackson still plays a huge role, and slowing him down in the rushing attack is the best way to beat the Ravens.
Do I actually think the Steelers can win?
Yes. Lamar Jackson threw four picks last week as Baltimore narrowly escaped with a win against the Browns. Pittsburgh will be desperate to stop the bleeding from last week, and a win puts them right back into a decent position for a playoff push.
I think the defense comes out on a mission, and if they can disrupt Jackson’s rhythm and the Baltimore running game, the Pittsburgh Steelers will win.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter!
And don’t forget about the Shop!